A study published in Circulations found gene abnormalities may make some people more susceptible to myocarditis, the American Heart Association reported Sept. 26.
U.K. researchers analyzed DNA sequencing data of 336 people with acute myocarditis and 1,053 healthy people. Participants were followed for five years. Data, collected between 2016 and 2018, showed 8 percent — or 1 in 13 — of participants with myocarditis shared genetic variants associated with cardiomyopathies.
Myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, frequently is triggered by a virus. It can resolve on its own or be treated but sometimes leads to long-term damage and death. Postmortem studies suggest myocarditis may be responsible for 3 percent to 12 percent of all sudden cardiac deaths, according to the American Heart Association.